Vice defense minister calls for US congressional support for nuclear-powered subs, OPCON transfer

Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee, right, poses with Emil Michael, U.S. undersecretary of war for research and engineering, during their meeting at the Pentagon near Washington, Wednesday. Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense

Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee has called for U.S. congressional support for Korea's nuclear-powered submarine program and efforts to retake wartime operational control (OPCON) from Washington during his meetings with U.S. lawmakers, the defense ministry said Thursday.

Lee made the call when he separately met with Reps. Ryan Zinke (R-MT) and Pat Harrigan (R-NC) in Washington on Wednesday (local time), according to the ministry, as Seoul is pushing to acquire nuclear-propelled naval vessels and source low-enriched uranium for fuel under a summit agreement between the two countries' leaders.

Korea is also working to reclaim wartime OPCON from the U.S. before the Lee Jae Myung government's five-year term ends in 2030.

Lee "asked for continued attention to and support at the U.S. congressional level for Seoul's efforts to acquire low-enriched uranium for nuclear-powered submarines," the ministry said in a release.

He briefed the lawmakers on the progress of the OPCON transition and its significance, asking them to support the efforts toward the OPCON transfer, the ministry said.

Lee also called for congressional support for legislative procedures required to expand bilateral cooperation in shipbuilding and vessel maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO).

In the meetings, Lee stressed the importance of bipartisan support for the Korea-U.S. alliance so that it can continue to develop in a future-oriented and mutually beneficial manner, the ministry said.

At the Pentagon, Lee met with Emil Michael, U.S. under secretary of war for research and engineering, to discuss cooperation in defense and the defense industry.

Noting the need to expand cooperation in cutting-edge technologies, the two sides agreed to expedite efforts to establish a science and technology consultative body between their defense authorities to discuss artificial intelligence and drones.

To this end, they agreed to work together to launch a working-level dialogue channel to develop common standards and certification frameworks for drones.